A reflection on Matthew 10:34–11:1; Following Jesus Divides

 Homily on Matthew 10:34–11:1: When Following Christ Divides the Household ( 14-7-25)

Praise be to Jesus Christ 

There was a young woman who came home from a retreat, deeply touched by the love of Jesus. She started reading the Bible, praying daily, and trying to live her life honestly. But something unexpected happened. Her own family began to mock her. Her brother called her “too holy.” Her mother told her not to bring “church talk” into the kitchen. Her friends stopped calling. One day, she sat quietly in her room and whispered, “Lord, I thought following You would bring peace. But all I see is rejection.”

Today’s Gospel has a line many find hard to accept. Jesus says, “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.” These are not words we usually associate with Jesus. We expect Him to say things like “love your enemies” and “blessed are the peacemakers.” But here, He speaks a hard truth: sometimes, following Him will cause division. Even inside our own homes.

The word that needs special attention here is not sword or enemy, but household. Because that is where love is meant to be strongest, and where the deepest pain is often felt when someone begins to follow Christ with a full and honest heart. Jesus never promised an easy path. The Gospel is not a sugar-coated message. It is a fire that refines, a truth that pierces, and a love that asks everything.

The life of St. Francis of Assisi is a clear echo of this Gospel. When Francis heard the voice of Jesus calling him to rebuild the Church, he began to change. He gave up wealth, wore simple clothes, and embraced the poor. His father, a wealthy cloth merchant, was furious. He dragged Francis before the bishop and demanded that his son return all his property. There, in front of the crowd, Francis calmly removed even the clothes on his back and handed them to his father, saying, “From now on, I will call only God my Father.” His family mocked him. They said he had gone mad. His own household became his first enemy. Yet he never hated them. He simply walked the path of Christ, and through his example, thousands followed.

Think also of Abraham, who left his family and homeland. Or of Joseph, whose brothers sold him into slavery. Or of the early Christians in Rome who were thrown out by their own kin. And even today, in villages, towns, and cities, many believers face rejection in their own homes. Yet they stay faithful, many do not preach loudly or fight. But their lives shine and through them, homes slowly become places of healing.

Today, even small acts of faith can cause tension at home; refusing to lie at work, refusing to participate in certain customs, refusing to bow down to injustice, speaking truth with love, being silent when others gossip. These small things make us different and sometimes,  being different is unwelcomed.

So if your faith is bringing pain into your household, do not give up. Do not grow bitter. Jesus has already walked this road. He knows what it means to be rejected. And He walks it now with you.

Jesus, give me the courage to follow You even when it divides my own house. Amen.

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God Bless…